A Box Full of Memories

Hello Everyone!

As many of you know, I lost my last remaining uncle on my mom's side of the family this past week. He had Alzheimers and had been in the nursing home several years. He was buried next to my aunt (Mama's baby sister) in our church cemetery. A few months before my aunt died, she, her new daughter-in-law and I were riding around the community, visiting friends and neighbors and getting her daughter-in-law acquainted with everyone. As we passed the cemetery, she told her daughter-in-law that she'd soon be coming back home. (She was born and raised next door to the church and cemetery) I really believe that she had a premonition that her days were short. A few months later, I recieved a call from the daughter-in-law that she had been rushed to the hospital and had passed away while there. Fast forward several years. Two graves now occupy that space in the cemetery. They were finally back together, but in a "new home", a heavenly home!


After the funeral of my uncle last Friday, I went next door to my Daddy's house. There on the dining table was a storage container. He said that the daughter-in-law left it for me. I placed the container in the back seat of the car and took it home. The next day, I opened the box and began to look inside. It contained many memorable photos of me, my aunt and uncle. There were other photos of family members and a photograph of my grandmother. I never had a photo of her and I was excited that she had included it in the box. There are two other grandaughters - my sister and cousin who I'm sure would like to have a copy, so I'll make one for each of them.


As I looked through all the photos, underneath the scrapbooks and other papers were some objects that were wrapped in newspaper. I unwrapped the items to find a covered china bowl and matching creamer and sugar bowl. I don't remember whether or not these belonged to my aunt or my grandmother. My sister or cousin could better answer that question because they are older and have a better recollection of the china that both my grandma and aunt had. As I ventured down in the bottom of the storage box, I came upon a large object in a heavy plastic zipper bag. It was a punch bowl with several cups and a ladle! I do not remember my aunt entertaining much so I assume the punch bowl belonged to my grandma. These treasures I will add to my collection containing the "plastic" emerald ring from a bubble gum machine and the two marbles found from my childhood!

Going through the box brought back very precious memories! I thank God for them!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

Let's Play Tag, Again!!!

Hello Everyone!

Becky tagged me with this cute little questionnaire.

Four things I like about my husband . . . . .
1. I like his sincerity
2. I like his ability to explain things that have a difficult concept in easy to understand terms
3. I like how he leaves "little love notes" around the house for me to find.
4. I like EVERYTHING about him!

Four movies I have watched more than once . . . . .
1. The Passion of the Christ
2. The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
3. Clear and Present Danger
4. The Devil's Advocate

Four TV shows I watch . . . . .
1. Star Trek (original series)
2. CSI New York
3. Sanford and Son
4. Criminal Minds

Four places I have been . . . . .
1. Washington, DC
2. Chicago, IL
3. Maui, HI
4. Indianapolis, IN

Four people who email me regularly . . . . .
1. My friend Terri
2. My niece
3. My bloggy friend, Lynn
4. My friend Jill

Four favorite foods . . . . .
1. Fried Chicken
2. Spaghetti and Garlic Bread with a salad
3. Barbecued Chicken
4. Corn on the Cob

Four places I would like to visit . . . . .
1. Vermont
2. Maine
3. Nova Scotia
4. Scotland

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year (2009) . . . . .
1. Spending another year with my WONDERFUL husband
2. Growing in the Word
3. God's many blessings
4. Many great times of fellowship with friends and family

Four friends I tag . . . . .
1. Lynn
2. Christi
3. Kim
4. Debrah

OK friends, it's your turn!

Be Encouraged!

Plant Lady

Thinking About The Holidays

Hello Everyone!

Summer is almost over and it's time to start thinking about the holidays! Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas is coming soon and I was just thinking about all the ways in which we celebrate these holidays. I had an idea and was wondering if you'd like to participate. I haven't seen this on any other blog, but it may be "out there".

Here's the idea: For each holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) post about how you and your family will celebrate it. For example: I celebrate the traditional Halloween in a way to give glory to our Wonderful Savior Jesus Christ instead of the evil that is celebrated during this time. Our church does a "Trunk or Treat" in the parking lot to accommodate the "trick or treaters" that are out in the neighborhood and surrounding community. Each family will design and decorate their vehicle (trunk or truck bed) in a theme that will be attractive to kids and will also promote the message of the Gospel. Treats are passed out along with a tract or one-on-one witnessing. The kids love visiting the themed sites (Jonah and the Whale, David and Goliath, etc.) and the parents are often the most reachable while their kids are having fun!

Last year was the first year that our church has taken part in this ministry to the community, and it was well received! We had numerous kids along with their parents who,
amazingly, lingered to talk after the kids got their treats.

So that's just an example! Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's celebrations bring lots of ideas and I'm looking forward to hearing if you'd be interested in participating.

Please post and let me know your thoughts!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

Sweetheart and the Ground Mole

Hello Everyone!

Several weeks ago, I did a post entitled Sweetheart and the Bandits". Today's post is about her latest adventure. Sweetheart (that Strange Bird) is up to her same old tricks! This time, she has taken to digging up ground moles that are burrowing under the grass in the back yard.

Friday, as we were washing vegetables for the Market, Daddy noticed her "rooting" in the yard. "Look at Sweetheart," he whispered. There she was, with her nose buried in the ground! She was using her snout as a shovel to search the tunnel for its furry little inhabitant. She was getting close! As she dug, her tail was wagging a warp speed! She had this rhythm going - digging with her front paws, shoveling with her nose and then "snorting" out the dirt that got in her nose. Finally, it all paid off! She came up with a small, brown, funny-looking creature with strange feet.

She tossed it up into the air, pounced on it, and finally finished it off! When it failed to move again, she lost interest and went about following the other tunnels to root out another.

Later that day, she was in the gourd patch, where we were gathering some of the gourds that were ready. She became very interested in the pursuit of rats that were feasting on some of the gourds. The gourd vines and the grass that has overtaken the patch made it difficult for her to walk, so she began "leaping" just like a deer as she chased the rats. What fun she was having!

Suddenly, she heard a noise in the front yard! She took off like lightning toward the front and then detoured into the garden where she found the noise maker - a tractor with a piece of machinery attached to harvest the tobacco that is grown by a neighbor. Once she saw him, (he's her friend) she turned and came back to us in the gourd patch where she resumed her rat-chasing!

Afterwards, when we went to the house, she went in and fell asleep on her usual spot on Daddy's couch, waiting there only until Daddy took his afternoon nap in the bedroom, then she followed him to her usual spot on the bed! Such is the life of Sweetheart! Never a dull moment!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

Lost and Found

Hello Everyone!

I LOST MY MARBLES! You all are saying, "Yes, I believe she has after the post on those BEAUTIFUL spiders!" But I really did lose my marbles when I was a little girl!

I can't remember who gave them to me, but I once had a little velvet bag that contained several beautifully-colored marbles with designs in them. My grandmother was terrified that I would put them in my mouth, swallow them and get choked. Knowing me, she was probably right, but that was one of her fears that was never realized, thank goodness!

I can remember playing with them on the rug in the den where their movement was easily contained, but don't let them get off on the hardwood floors!(We had hardwood floors BEFORE they became all the rage and I remember how much I wanted Mama and Daddy to get wall-to-wall carpet) If the marbles did venture onto the smooth surface of the floors, they disappeared never to be found again! Or so I thought!

Somehow, one of my precious marbles ended up in the garden! The garden of all places! But there, as pretty as a picture, I found one just sitting on top of the dirt like a diamond, waiting for ME, all these years later! Several years ago, I had a similar find. While looking in the "packhouse", where my dad packed tobacco and blueberries years ago, I found another of my marbles in amongst the rusty bolts, nuts and nails that were kept in a box. Along with the marble, a tiny ring that came from a bubble gum machine.(You know the kind that you put in a dime(now a quarter or two)and get a prize) It's band was still shiny and the "plastic" emerald was still as green as it was when it would fit on my ring finger!

Today, I placed the newly-found marble in amongst the other "treasures" I keep in my jewelry box. I don't know why I keep these trivial things, but I guess I'm just sentimental that way!

What treasures have you found lately? Did you tell anyone? Did you put it in a "special place"?

The Greatest Treasure can be found anytime! When you find it, tell someone! The most special place it can be put - your Heart!

Seek and You Shall Find!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

The Spider

Hello Everyone!

Mr. Plant Lady and I have had a visitor take up residence at our house. She is a garden spider (what better kind for plant people?) Some call it a "writing spider" because of the silken "writings" that it forms on its web.

She has spun her web (remember Charlotte's Web?)on the shrubbery just off the front porch. We have been talking about her for over a week now and have watched her progress as she waits patiently for her prey. We noticed a few days ago, that she had "captured" an unlucky prisoner and had spun a silken shroud around it, just like the Egyptians of old, when they embalmed their dead (mummy) and entombed them in the Pyramids.

As I went to work this morning, I noticed that the "mummy" was gone. She had totally disposed of the body! I wonder what she did with it! It is amazing to me how God provides for all His creation! How much more will He provide for His children, giving them their daily bread as well as other blessings too numerous to count?

Keep an eye out for those garden (or "writing") spiders at your house. They are most beautiful and I think that they could possibly be writing a "thank you" note to their Creator! What do you think?

Thank you God for Your blessings, provision, and the spiders!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

"Why Christian Manhood Must Prevail" Giveaway

Hello Everyone!

I've been happily visiting some blogs and I've found one I think you'd like to check out! "Our Family Highlights" is a wonderful blog that you're bound to enjoy! They are doing a giveaway for a CD by Douglas W. Phillips, entitled "Why Christian Manhood Must Prevail".

Please visit this site to get more information and a description of the CD. It sounds like a great one for the man in your life! The deadline for entry is Friday, August 15, so hurry up and register!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady